In an earlier post on Infosys i had mentioned how the leadership in the last few years has not shown an understanding of the Infy difference the way NRN used to. They have been extremely competent business managers delivering great results but no different from the guys at TCS or Wipro or Cognizant... Last evening, after a long time, saw NRN in action on CNBC and he spoke about the rupee appreciation in a manner only he can. Despite IT companies losing millions of dollars, he defended the appreciation of the rupee as a sign of the strengthening of the Indian economy and how our imports will become cheaper and therefore the overall good it represents for the country. This is what separates him from the rest- whether it is taking a stand on the IIM quota issue, or suggesting that IT companies should be taxed by governement or questioning intentions of ex-prime ministers... he has always taken a clear stand and operated from a place of conviction rather than convenience.
And that has been the Infy difference- not in terms of business model or culture as much as the ideology that it represented. Coming from the middle class background, NRN somehow showed the opportunistic middle class how not be emasculated and be a stand for a few things irrespective of the stakes involved....
Dying to see some of that spunk in the current leadership as well!
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